


First Impressions - Imperial Highness Lee

by faustianpixie



Series: Daily Lives of Regular Palace Residents 1- Soonhoon [2]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: A sad hint of an ending, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Comedy, First Meetings, Guard Jeon Wonwoo, Guard Kim Mingyu, King Kihyun - Mentioned, King Woozi, Love at First Sight, M/M, Prince Kwon Soonyoung
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-07-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:01:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25252783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faustianpixie/pseuds/faustianpixie
Summary: “Well, you caught me...but I must warn you I am a noble. Are you going to drag me in front of your king?”“How does being a noble matter when you are lurking suspiciously?” The second guard asked.One was little on the daft side. No matter. Soonyoung smirked. “I have certain rights then.”“Then you can tell our king.” The first guard just wouldn’t let go.Soonyoung sighed. He wouldn’t be able to get out of this one.Hopefully their king was benevolent...This is a standalone, but it would be nice if you read the previous one...just sayin....~~~~~~~~~~~2/53 - Past
Relationships: Jeon Wonwoo & Kim Mingyu, Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi/Lee Jihoon | Woozi
Series: Daily Lives of Regular Palace Residents 1- Soonhoon [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1828549
Comments: 6
Kudos: 61





	First Impressions - Imperial Highness Lee

**Author's Note:**

> Hewoooooo  
> I'm back after not being able to sleep the night because it got a bookmark! A BOOKMARK. For authors like me it means a lot and The comments and Kudos made me lighter and lighter and I'm floating now. I am trying to reply to every comment and will comtinue to do so because that is what keeps people going. Trust me on it.  
> So on that optimistic note I figured I would try something today~~~  
> THANK YOU ALLL  
> FAUSTIAN PIXIE

Soonyoung ducked.

_Phew! That was close._

His father seemed to have added two new guards to the night patrol today.

 _Understandable. The South Eastern King came today after all_.

Soonyoung grumbled and changed his attire quickly. It would be seen as unseemly for the cousin of the king to be dressed in ‘citizen garb’. But Soonyoung would laugh on the man’s face. These were the most comfortable clothes he had ever worn! Better than those stuffy layers the women and men of court preferred.

“Oi! Anyone there?”

Soonyoung froze. He had one leg hanging out of his pants. Anyone who came now would see the first cousin in an act of indecency! He scrambled for clothes and ended up wearing only his inner robes in time. 

“You there!” 

Soonyoung stood up as regally as he could, in the inner robes and prayed to the gods he knew these guards.

“Yes?”

He turned to unfamiliar faces. He had never seen these guards on patrol, let alone around the palace. And he made it a point to know them. Who knew when one would find themselves in a situation like today, stuck with inner robes outside the palace and without an ounce of royal standing with him thereby branding him the clown of the Kwon clan?

“Yes? Do I know you two?”

He took in the appearance of the two guards. Those weren’t the plates, uniform or insignia of the West Kingdom. They were distinct to the South-West. They were plates clearly made of bronze rather than the silver. The design put more emphasis on the sturdiness in the chest area leaving out the vulnerable neck and shoulder braces. A well placed arrow or sword move would be enough. 

_Bad Hoshi. No killing guards unless ordered._

Soonyoung shook his head to reinforce the message. 

“What are you doing here? Who are you?”

“It is more apt if I ask who you all are to patrol our streets.” Soonyoung tried.

One guard smirked. “I believe it would be more apt for royal guards to ask men in mere inner robes.”

Soonyoung liked that response. He barked a laugh and leaned on the wall.

“Well, you caught me...but I must warn you I am a noble. Are you going to drag me in front of your king?”

“How does being a noble matter when you are lurking suspiciously?” The second guard asked.

One was little on the daft side. No matter. Soonyoung smirked. “I have certain rights then.”

“Then you can tell our king.” The first guard just wouldn’t let go.

Soonyoung sighed. He wouldn’t be able to get out of this one.

“Very Well~”

The second guard who was now resembling a large dumb dog. Maybe he could ruffle the youth’s hair? He seemed around his age as well.

“Shall we go?”

Soonyoung realised he hadn’t moved and picked up his things carefully.

“You were changing in the middle of the street?” A snigger followed.

Soonyoung rolled his eyes. If the nurses would see him now, all their years of training and etiquette lessons gone with the West Kingdom's winter breeze. He pushed off the wall and swaggered past the guards.

No one should think he was always like this, in fact most in the palace saw him as the jovial fun loving Kwon Soonyoung who would eventually remain an aid forever. As plain as parchment. As simple as a straight line. But with these being the last moments of fresh air he’d be getting for the next fortnight, he figured etiquette deserved its place in the depths of hell. 

He got out his outer robes and tied them as they walked on the abandoned street that stuck to the palace wall.

“How do you even get out of there? That place is like a fortress!”

_Good job cousin. I guess you made a good first impression. Sigh...If only my impression was like that. Now it will be the half naked royal clown_

That second guard was chatty. But not irritating to the usually verbose Soonyoung. 

“It is through the sewer.”

“You lie.” The serious one accused.

“Oh? Thanks for informing me.” Soonyoung said. He accompanied it with one of his big smiles and the man visibly squinted as if he were staring at the sun.

They walked in silence through the gates. Soonyoung was escorted to the guest quarters this time however. The main room, dubbed the serenity room, was rather spacious and reserved for kings of other lands. Draped in the finest of silks and made of the finest wood, it was an opulent statement.

Very rarely had Soonyoung entered. He had always taken these diplomatic visits as an opportunity to go around town for new curios and meeting new people. He hated the droll of court life despite being praised for his decorum when he was young.

“Mingyu, Wonwoo, Who is he?” A sweet voice lilted to his ear.

Soonyoung turned.

His Majesty, The Imperial Highness Lee of the South-East was renowned for his stable rule. Partly because of his predecessors and also partly because of his policy of using the harem as a way to check the court. He had leveraged a princess out of every single courtier and therefore kept their interests in check or tracked them easily. He was very impressive as a warrior as well and was a gentleman of the court in the eyes of....every historical text.

Soonyoung thought he’d be this stout short man who was just good at swinging a club and got all this praise by the way power often clouded the perception of appearance. But with the man standing before him, he realised he had fallen prey to his own judgement.

Emperor Lee was shorter than him, but the way he carried himself and the power he exuded were impressive. What struck Soonyoung however was just how beautiful he looked. Delicate features and skin that would put those of heavenly nymphs to shame. Yes Soonyoung was shamelessly exaggerating and he didn’t care even if our readers thought it unworthy.

This man’s hands had calluses and cuts from days of practice that made Soonyoung itch for a spar. _Could he beat me?_ His eyes, oh his eyes, Soonyoung could fall in love with those muddy pools. 

“He is staring at me very weirdly. What is he doing here?”

That voice melted Soonyoung again. This infatuation was getting a little too strong.

_Control yourself! You mule! He’s the Imperial Highness and you haven’t greeted him?_

“The Royal Aide of the Western King greets your Imperial Highness.” He said bowing deeply.

“Eh?” The two guards exclaimed.

“You should have told us! We would have sent you to your king!”

“Exactly!”

“I did tell you I was a noble...” Soonyoung stalled.

“But that-”

“Enough!” Emperor Lee ordered. He then turned to Soonyoung. Soonyoung’s heart bounced around in his chest cavity at the attention. “So you are that Aide who’s always missing...Your king keeps grumbling about you.”

Soonyoung remembered Kihyun’s usual grumbling and laughed.

“Anyway, now is not an appropriate time for meetings. Take him away.”

“But he was caught-”

“Now is not the time. I would like to sleep.” Emperor Lee stressed. The tiredness of his face was slowly palpable as the man aged before his eyes. 

“But-” Soonyoung tried.

The syllable was left hanging in the air as Mingyu and Wonwoo dragged the Royal Aide of the Kwon clan further from the Emperor’s Room.

And so it was that Kwon Soonyoung volunteered as a tribute to go to the South-Eastern kingdom....on a whim. Whims are silly little dreams that give large happiness. Large happiness born of hope. And like hope, the let down doesn’t stop that easily....

~~~~~~~~~From the Personal Records of Wen Junhui, confidante of the Royal Consort Kwon~~~~~~~~

[Next Past Piece](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25295992)

[Next Narrative Piece](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25274944)

**Author's Note:**

> Okay! THANK YOU FOR MAKING IT SO FAR! I know my style is long winding but I hope this helped you learn of Soonyoung's character! and a hint about Hoshi...and Mingyu and Wonwooo...  
> Any requests or comments are begged for and not just accepted * end of shameless request....or so you thought *  
> I will be updating polls regularly so do participate!  
>   
>   
> PLEASE COMMENT IN GENERAL T_T  
> THANK YOUUUU  
> FAUSTIAN PIXIE  
> @Myalurks This is my public twitter ID! Do interact uwu


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